Inside the room.
"What are you thinking about?" Chen Xiaomi asked, fanning herself with a cloth fan.
After the round fans were a hot seller for a while, the craze gradually subsided, and other shops in the town started selling round fans one after another. At this time, the shops also launched cloth fans that were similar to paper fans, which sparked a new wave of popularity.
Cloth fans and round fans serve similar functions, but many young ladies and wives prefer something new.
Even after the cloth fans came out, quite a few people still bought them.
Many people buy fans not to escape the heat, but to show off.
"I was just thinking how terrible rumors are!" Lu Lin said with a sigh.
Shen Chi's mood was off after he returned from his last trip to the countryside, but Lu Lin had a lot of things to deal with, so he didn't pay much attention.
The night before last, Chen Xiaocai secretly approached him and said that Chen Chi had gone back to his hometown and seemed to be in a bad mood. He must have encountered something in the countryside, so he asked Chen Xiaocai to go down to the countryside and check it out.
Although Lu Lin was quite busy, he felt that since Chen Xiaocai rarely asked him for help, he should still lend a hand. So he went to the countryside to investigate. When Lu Lin went to the countryside, he learned that some very unpleasant rumors had been circulating in the village because he had previously rejected those who proposed marriage to Chen Xiaocai.
Some say that after he and Chen Xiaomi started working in town, their standards rose, and they looked down on girls from the countryside.
Some say that Chen Xiaocai and Shen Chi have been having an affair for a long time, which is why she doesn't like anyone else.
Chen Chi, this little Shuang'er is something else. She knows how to seduce people at such a young age.
Chen Xiaomi had been scolded the whole way, and since they were living in town now, it didn't matter to them. However, Chen Chi was different. Lu Lin felt that Chen Chi might have been discouraged.
Shen Chi is still just a child, and being ridiculed by so many people all of a sudden must be hard for him to bear.
After hearing Lu Lin's account of the rumors circulating in the countryside, Chen Xiaomi said with dissatisfaction, "If such rumors are spread, it might be difficult for Chen Chi to find someone later."
"Will it?" Lu Lin asked.
Chen Xiaomi nodded. "Of course."
Shuang'er already had a hard time finding a husband, and Chen Xiaomi had originally prepared herself to live a lonely life. If it weren't for the sudden introduction of that head tax, Chen Xiaomi would never have thought of finding a partner.
"The Shen family is doing quite well!" Granny Shen guessed that they had some savings and a few acres of land, but their family was too small.
People here believe that having many children brings good fortune. Although having more people in the family means having more people to eat, having more people in the family always has an advantage if someone causes trouble.
"If Shen Chi marries, the land will belong to her husband's family after Grandma Shen passes away. If she marries into the family, she will likely not be able to find a good husband. In this era, people believe that a woman should follow her husband wherever he goes. If a woman does not have a strong family, she will basically be mistreated by her husband's family. Shuang'er is the same."
Lu Lin said somewhat jokingly, "If you can't find a good son-in-law, aren't I doing just fine?"
Chen Xiaomi blushed and said, "You're not him."
Lu Lin stroked his chin and said, "That's true."
Chen Xiaomi suddenly remembered something. There used to be a pretty girl in the village. A family went to propose marriage on behalf of their son. However, the son was a scoundrel. The girl's family refused. As a result, the scoundrel, being a shameless scoundrel, spread rumors everywhere that the girl was having an affair with a peddler.
The girl loved to dress up and often asked the peddler to bring her some trendy hair ties, but her relationship with the peddler was completely innocent.
Despite being a baseless rumor, it spread so much that the villagers actually started to believe the girl was a bad person. Unable to bear the blow, the girl drowned herself in the lake.
After the girl committed suicide, some villagers felt embarrassed, but what could they do? The dead could not be brought back.
When Lu Lin heard Chen Xiaomi recount the story, he couldn't help but sigh. Although he had inherited the original owner's memories, he still couldn't quite grasp the mentality of people in this era.
"What do you think we should do about this?" Lu Lin asked Chen Xiaomi. Chen Xiaomi thought for a moment and said, "If Chen Chi and Xiao Cai both agree, then we should arrange their engagement."
"Isn't it a bit too early?" Lu Lin asked.
Chen Xiaomi gritted her teeth and said, "It's just an engagement. We can talk about marriage later. If the engagement is settled, no one will say anything if the two of them get closer."
Lu Lin nodded and said, "Alright."
Although Lu Lin didn't think Shen Chi would be so mentally unstable as to commit suicide by drowning, he was still just a kid, and it wouldn't be good for him to bear too much pressure.
There are quite a few child brides and arranged marriages in this area. Thinking about it this way, it seems like it would be good to get engaged early. Chen Chi can also learn to work in the shop sooner. However, we should ask Xiao Cai's opinion first.
"Engaged?" Chen Xiaocai looked at Lu Lin with some surprise.
Lu Lin nodded and said, "Yes, actually, you're not fully grown yet, we can talk about it later. However, there are all sorts of rumors circulating in the countryside right now." Since they haven't taken any action against these rumors, they are likely to escalate further.
Chen Xiaocai frowned and said, "It's better to settle it sooner rather than later. Achi is a good guy."
Lu Lin tilted his head, looked at Chen Xiaocai, and said, "Chen Chi is bisexual, have you thought this through?" The men here still prefer girls more, and Lu Lin didn't know what Chen Xiaocai was thinking.
Chen Xiaocai tilted his head and said, "Shuang'er is great. Big Brother is Shuang'er. Don't you like my Big Brother, Brother Lin?"
Lu Lin: "..." The brat actually tried to shut him up with words.
Looking at Chen Xiaocai, Lu Lin vaguely suspected that Chen Xiaocai liked Shen Chi because Shen Chi resembled Chen Xiaomi, and thus she loved him because of him.
After asking Chen Xiaocai for her opinion, Lu Lin went to see Granny Shen.
Granny Shen looked at Lu Lin and said, "We need to get Achi and Xiaocai settled down."
Lu Lin nodded and said, "Well, I think the two boys look like a good couple. I also think Achi is a good match, so I'm thinking of getting Achi and Xiaocai settled down, so they won't be snatched away by someone else..." Hearing Lu Lin praise his grandson, Grandma Shen was naturally happy.
"Xiao Cai agrees." Grandma Shen secretly hoped that Xiao Cai and her grandson would be together. However, many women who marry out of marriage don't have a good life in their husband's family. Many men marry women because they are too poor to do anything else and want to marry a woman who can work.
Lu Lin smiled and said, "Look at what you're saying. If he didn't agree, would I have brought this up with you? The two kids have been playing together for so long."
Granny Shen said somewhat awkwardly, "It's my fault." Granny Shen was still very happy that Lu Lin was willing to take the initiative to propose marriage. She was getting older and older, and Granny Shen was always worried about how Shen Chi, a little girl, would live if she were gone.
Given the Chen brothers' character, if Shen Chi were to marry Chen Xiaocai, he could leave with peace of mind, but...
"Ah Lin, have you heard something?" The villagers asked Lu Lin to propose marriage to Chen Xiaocai. Granny Shen also understood Chen Xiaomi's previous meaning, which seemed to be that Xiaocai was still young and there was no need to rush to settle down so early.
Lu Lin frowned and said, "I have heard some things. I know Xiao Cai. He has always liked A Chi, but he is too shy to say it. Originally, I thought the two children were still young and there was no need to rush. However, since there are such rumors in the village, it is better to settle it sooner rather than later."
Grandma Shen nodded, and finally nodded, saying, "Alright."
Grandma Shen thought to herself: It was already hard to find a grandson, and now that there are such rumors in the village, it will be even harder. Since Lu Lin has brought it up, she doesn't need to act coy.
Granny Shen called Shen Chi to her side and mentioned the engagement. Shen Chi couldn't help but blush.
The next day, Granny Shen took Shen Chi back to the countryside.
Grandma Shen took Shen Chi back to the countryside and immediately got to work.
When wealthy families get married, they pay great attention to the three letters and six rites, with a lot of complicated formalities. It's different for villagers. Those who are well-off are more particular, while those who are poor are more casual.
In the countryside, people often struggle to even afford food, so they don't need to be so particular about their appearance.
Grandma Shen's sudden return to the countryside sparked much discussion.
Everyone in the village knew that Granny Shen worked at the Huaxia Trading Company and only came back occasionally to tidy up the house. She had only returned two days prior, and now she was back again, causing quite a stir among the villagers.
Some people who can't stand seeing others do well laugh and speculate that Granny Shen was actually sent back.
Chen Xiaomi was probably worried that Shen Chi's bad reputation would affect Chen Xiaocai's future reputation. Lu Lin told Granny Shen that he would find a matchmaker in a couple of days to discuss the engagement and send engagement gifts.
After discussing it, both sides felt that the engagement didn't need to be too complicated; they could just invite a few people over for a meal. Although everything was kept simple, some preparations were still necessary.
Because Grandma Shen had been in town for a while, her house was a bit messy. The furniture was dusty, and many places in the house were in a mess. In such a short time, there wasn't enough time to buy anything new, but it was still necessary to clean it thoroughly.
"Grandma Chen, you're back."
Granny Shen looked at Liu Yue and said, "Yes, you're back."
Liu Yue looked at Granny Shen with a somewhat apologetic expression. Her aunt, Zhang Xiuhe, went to town to find Lu Lin and, using the name of the village head, asked Granny Shen to give up her job. Lu Lin refused, so Granny Shen came to the house and made a scene, saying that Lu Lin was arrogant and didn't respect her father-in-law, and that her father-in-law should reason with her.
Although her father-in-law favored her aunt, Lu Lin had already gone to work in town, so it was difficult for him to find her there. He only offered a few words of advice to his aunt about Zhang Xiuhe's matter. Lu Lin didn't tell Granny Shen about it. However, even the smallest things in the village can't be kept secret. Many villagers had to sell their embroidery to merchants, and when they met Granny Shen, some people told her about Zhang Xiuhe's matter. Some kind-hearted people even advised Granny Shen to be more careful.
When Granny Shen returned this time, her aunt Zhang Xiuhe was immediately smug, guessing that the town's boss had finally had enough of Granny Shen, this lazy old woman, and had sent her back.
The more Zhang Xiuhe guessed, the more convinced she became of it, so she spoke with absolute certainty. Some villagers even thought that Zhang Xiuhe had obtained some inside information from the village head, and they believed her.
Zhang Xiuhe not only liked to take advantage of everyone in the village, but she especially liked to take advantage of their family. Therefore, Liu Yue actually disliked this aunt very much.
Liu Yue looked at Granny Chen and asked somewhat awkwardly, "Granny, are you planning to stay here permanently?" Granny Chen glanced at Liu Yue and said, "I am going to stay for two days, but I will have to go back to town in a couple of days. However, there is not much work to do lately, so I am free."
Liu Yue smiled and said, "Is that so? I'm so sorry about my aunt's matter."
Grandma Shen said nonchalantly, "It's nothing serious, Yue, you don't need to worry about it."
Granny Shen didn't like Zhang Xiuhe, but she had a good impression of Liu Yue.
Liu Yue got confirmation from Granny Shen that Granny Shen's return from town had nothing to do with her aunt, which put her at ease.
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